Would you have gotten a boat and watched the races from the ocean? If I was around back then me and dad would've watched the cars fly down the sand from the ocean.
updated by @eric-cardona: 08/06/18 10:09:11AM
Would you have gotten a boat and watched the races from the ocean? If I was around back then me and dad would've watched the cars fly down the sand from the ocean.
Prob. not, the surf and shallow water would have meant you would be at least 500-600 feet away and the view from the sand dunes on the beach would be up close and personal. some times to close and personal from the many spin outs. there's a video of the 1957 race at silodrome.com/1957-daytona-beach-race that shows the race and at the start 4 F-100 Thunderbird jets come down the beach at low level and as the camera pans the entire course you can see there are no boats watching. of course other earlier years may have had some boats but the many photo's I've seen I don't remember any.
In 1950 when I saw the modified race, Big Bill had to wait an extra half hour for the race to start because the tide hadn't gone out far enough.
Big Bill was willing to put signs with "Beware of Rattlesnakes" in the dunes to bluff away interlopers looking to watch the race for free. I'd think he would have had have boats in the ocean with guys shouting "Danger: Sharks" on a bullhorn if he thought someone might try to watch the race for free from the sea.
IN THE OLD DAYTONA BEACH RACE FILMS YOU WOULD NOTICED COUPLE OF SMALL PRIVATE AIRPLANES OR BELL HELICOPTERS FLYING OVERHEAD,BUT NO GOODYEAR BLIMP OR FAN FRIENDLY PLEASURE BOATS!
MAYBE THE FAN FRIENDLY PLEASURE BOATS WAS BANNED BY THE NASCAR,POLICE, OR COAST GUARD?
RACE INFORMATION, DAYTONA BEACH SPEED WEEK FEB. 3-10,1952 A
RACE INFORMATION, DAYTONA BEACH SPEED WEEK FEB. 3-10,1952 B
RACE INFORMATION, DAYTONA BEACH SPEED WEEK FEB. 3-10,1952 C
FEB.23,1958 PHOTO OF TWO MEN IN AN BOAT WATCHING THE NASCAR
DAYTONA BEACH-ROAD COURSE RACE THAT WAS WON BY #3 PAUL GOLDSMITH'S SMOKEY YUNICK PREPARED PONTIAC.
IN PHOTO YOU WILL SEE LOCAL POLICE/SHERIFF/STATE POLICE CARS AND MOTORCYCLES, AMBULANCE/HEARSE STATION WAGONS CARS,AND TOW TRUCKS.
Thanks for any information or photos posted.
Dennis Garrett
Richmond,Va.USA
If Big Bill were promoting on the beach today, perhaps he'd have a "DANGER, LEFT SHARK FEEDING AREA" sign in the water!
:applause: Dave
A year from now, that reply will have lost its context. But today - very funny!
